Red Cat

John March #3

by Peter Spiegelman

This riveting mystery finds Private Investigator John March descending into Manhattan’s dark and scandalous underworld to help a member of his own family. David March, John’s brother, has been having affairs with anonymous women he meets on the internet. Now one of these women is stalking him. David knows her only as Wren. She, however, knows everything about David—and she's threatening to tell his wife and colleagues, ruining his life. With his marriage, career, and reputation at stake, David asks John to find her. What John discovers is there is more to Wren than David knows. She’s an intriguing mystery, an internet pornographer and video artist with a penchant for turning the tables on her subjects. But when she turns up dead, John finds he's no longer searching for a stalker—now he's looking for a murderer, and the clues keep leading him back to his older brother’s doorstep.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Detective, Thriller, Audiobook

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2007

About the author

Peter Spiegelman is a twenty-year veteran of the financial services and software industries. He retired in 2001 to devote himself to writing. He lives in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not the writer’s fault that I just finished Robert Kolker’s excellent Lost Girls in light of the apprehension of the man they think is the Gilgo Beach murderer. But my threshold for murdered sex workers was low going into this. I only finished it because it filled a specific square for my library summer reading game. It’s not bad; the mystery is done well but it doesn’t stand out as far as the rest of the genre. I loved the descriptions of snowy weather in NYC but beyond that, it’s mostly a forgettable read.

[Claudiu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cam previzibil de pe la jumatatea romanului - mi-am dat seama cine este criminalul si de ce inca din primele 100 de pagini, dar am citit pana la capat doar ca sa imi demostrez ca am dreptate :))
Genul: hard boiled crime novel, noir.
Noir/Hard boiled prin stil si prin actiune.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the March Private Eye series, sees the ex-cop take on a case close to home. His brother, David, is being harassed by a women with whom he met online and had a number of casual sexual encounters with – this unbeknownst to his wife. March is tasked with identifying the women’s true identify in order to put an end to the harassment before David’s cheating ways are exposed.

RED CAT reads very well as a standalone, I’m not familiar with the previous two books and found that I really didn't need to be. The plot is a little cat and mouse before murder muddles the water which in turn shines a light on David turning him from victim to suspect.

I thought RED CAT was a very clever read that encompassed all the hallmarks of a traditional private eye novel.

The only thing holding me back from giving this book 5 stars is the ending - while providing closure it did come from left field.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the John March series. Finalist 2008 Barry Award for Best Novel. John March is now a P.I. in Manhattan and semi-estranged from his wealthy family. His smug older brother shows up demanding his help in what appears to be a blackmail scheme by a pseudonymous female. After John discovers her identity, she winds up in the river and the cops like his brother for the murder. A twisting plot and a gritty investigation follow in this hard to put down noir novel.

John March series - John March is the black sheep of an investment banking family, formerly a cop and now a private investigator.When his very respectable older brother, David, comes to him for help, John quickly finds himself in a sordid world of perverse sex, dubious art, and, of course, murder. David is being harassed by a woman he met for a few sexual encounters. When she turns up murdered, David and his wife become the prime suspects.

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

And it continues downhill. I have NO idea why I need to know if a character's socks are blue or black. Maybe if they are red with green stripes I could see the point, but come on! Give the clothes a rest! And at least TRY to play fair!!! One of my complaints with the last book was that Spiegelman didn't work too hard setting up the solution to the mystery in that he seemed to throw it all on the most minor of minor characters at the last minute. In this one, he does even worse! Absolutely no foreshadowing that the brother-in-law was involved. NONE! I suppose if you like mysteries where the writer pulls the solution out of thin air, you'll like this. Me, I don't and didn't. Farewell, Mr. Spiegelman...too many good writers out there to waste my time reading about who is wearing what.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a P.I. novel set in Manhattan, this turned out to be an unexpectedly thrilling ride! There are a series of 'John March, P.I.' novels, this being my first. Excellent read!
Pater Spiegelman is officially a go-to author for me!

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Îl văzusem mânios, de nenumărate ori. Îl văzusem arogant, dispreţuitor, mustrător şi batjocoritor – şi nu de puţine ori, karma asta rea fusese îndreptată în direcţia mea. Dar în cei treizeci şi patru de ani de când îl cunoşteam, nu-l văzusem niciodată pe fratele meu în starea aceasta. Nu-l văzusem niciodată speriat.
David îşi trecu o mână prin părul roşcat, ciufulindu-şi frizura şi stricându-şi cărarea. Se ridică de pe canapea şi-şi scutură praful imaginar de pe pantalonii gri imaculaţi, şi începu să se plimbe încoace şi-n colo prin faţa peretelui lung de ferestre. Am clătinat din cap, atât din cauza surprizei de a-l vedea la uşa mea într-o luni dimineaţa – sau, de fapt, oricând cât şi din cauza a ceea ce-mi spusese.
— Doamne sfinte, David – de pe internet? Ce naiba te-ai gândit că faci?
Se opri şi se uită la acoperişurile caselor şi la soarele ce se chinuia să se înalţe pe cerul mohorât de ianuarie. Reflectat în geam, chipul îi era slab şi cu trăsături ascuţite – cu părul şi ochii mai deschişi la culoare, dar mai ridat şi mai acrit decât al meu, însă totuşi foarte asemănător. La un metru optzeci şi doi, nu era mai scund ca mine decât cu trei centimetri, însă acum părea mai mic. Zâmbi subţire şi amar.
— Asta ţi-e metoda obişnuită de lucru cu toţi potenţialii clienţi – să le întrerupi prezentarea cazului ca să-ţi exprimi dezaprobarea personală?
Îşi scutură o scamă invizibilă de pe mâneca sacoului.
Era evident că David nu sesizase cât de ironic era să se plângă chiar el de dezaprobarea mea, dar mi-am stăpânit impulsul de a-i atrage atenţia. N-am comentat nici faptul că nu-mi spunea ce se întâmplase, ci mai degrabă dădea târcoale problemei. Ştiam că ar fi fost inutil. Neştiind cum să facă faţă senzaţiei de frică şi neobişnuit să discute asta cu cineva – şi în orice caz, nu cu mine – David recădea în atitudinile mai familiare şi mai sigure, ca de pildă enervarea şi batjocura. Mai văzusem şi alţi clienţi trecând prin asta; o ceartă n-ar fi fost de nici un folos.

[Lupita Villalobos · Rating 4 out of 5]

El autor del libro: Peter Spiegelmen; es considerado como uno de los mejores representantes del nuevo género negro norteamericano. Por eso mismo le doy la calificación de 4 de 5 estrellas, nunca antes había leído algo de este tipo de género. La manera en que va contando la historia es envolvente. La sinopsis trata de una chica artista que graba a varios hombres en situaciones comprometedoras y uno de ellos es el hermano de John March (nuestro detective estrella). Posterior, es encontrado un cadaver flotando en el río “Hudson” en Nueva York. Leer este libro fue como estar leyendo una película de misterio y acción. Me gustó que tiene tintes de los libros de Ágatha Christie y Arthur Conan, en donde su detective va interactuando con personajes bastante peculiares y te orilla a cuestionarte que todos de cierta manera pueden ser los culpables de un crimen. Lo sentí fresco, dinámico y actual. Si eres fan de las historias de detectives tal vez te pueda gustar este autor, además de que su historia como escritor es interesante.

[Becky Kimmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting plot twists, sad that so many commit adultery, a focus on our fallen world.

[Scott Degraff · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

[Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

Problem was I figured out where the killer was by about half way through the book. It's a quick read and I like the protagonist. Prefer to have to work to puzzle it out.

[Ann Repetto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid. Enjoyed it though it was a little longer than it needed to be.

[David Schlosser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific PI story. I was unfamiliar with Peter Spiegelman until this book was given to me by Reed Farrel Coleman, and I am grateful for the introduction. As one might reasonably infer from the cover, the subject matter of the investigation is for mature audiences, but Spiegelman handles those details deftly and without prurience or the kind of description that too often turns sex scenes into plumbing manuals. Kudos for that -- but there is much more to the quality of this story and prose, and I highly recommend this book. It is a tremendous mystery, seeded with suspects and clues at every revelatory turn; I stayed up late every night, turning pages compulsively. The protag, John March, is an interesting cat with a backstory that never intrudes; Spiegelman could teach a master class on elegantly relating information out of sequence. March follows clues logically and consistently; he's a bloodhound on a scent, and Spiegelman doesn't need any tricks or misdirections to keep readers on their toes. March's adversaries are worthy and realistic -- everyone is self-interested, but no one is purely bad or good, and they represent an interesting diversity of class and intellectual capabilities. If you're a mystery fan, put this book on your reading list; if you're a noir fan, promote this book to the top of your reading list.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third John March mystery after the debut, Black Maps, a very good book and Death's Little Helpers, which was not. Red Cat combines what worked in this author's first novel and somewhat minimizes what didn't in the second providing an entertaining but average read.

Our protagonist is all but estranged from his wealthy NY banking family working on his own as PI. So imagine his surprise when his brother comes calling with a very delicate adultery problem which turns into a very ugly blackmail/murder problem. Without giving away any more of the plot suffice it to say the tale turns on the collision of two dysfunctional families.

An earlier reviewer succinctly described Red Cat as a solid-gum shoe mystery - it is - with John following clues and dealing with secondary characters and suspects at a pace just fast enough and a case just tantalizing enough that you overlook the fact the mystery isn't that deep or that most of the characters aren't either. What's also troublesome is John's "development" or lack thereof. He's sullen and not a very happy camper, which is fine - nobody would accuse Dave Robicheaux or Joe Pike of being happy go lucky - but poor John doesn't appear to have anything positive on the horizon putting him dangerously close to the one dimensional category - not a good place for a series protagonist.

[comfort · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realise this was the third book about the PI John March, but that was OK as it read quite easily as a standalone.

The story of an internet liaison gone wrong and Johns Marchs attempt to save his (rather awful) brother from a murder charge.

The more he investigates the more likely it seem his brother- David -is guilty, or is it David's wife?

The Red Cat of the story is a actress/writer/video maker turned blackkmailer and it is her murder which starts this whole story spinning out of control.

John digs deeper into the mysterious Wrens life and seems to get beaten up each time he unearths a new clue/suspect.

As a side story he is in a "relationship" with Claire- who stays with him through most of the investigation, but on the periphery- taking him to the hospital to patch up his wounds, buying dinner, making coffee. It does not come over as a really loving relationship and I feel they are just using each other for the time being. Shame really as Claire could have made him happy.

I am now going to start at the beginning of the series as I want to see how JM gets his start.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiegelman keeps getting better.

This one is focused on a crime that has nothing to do with finance, so if you're not a fan of Michael Lewis this might be a better place to start. Deep characters with complex motivations are what really make this series a cut above the average crime series. Again, March's isolation can't help but recall Michael Connelly's early Harry Bosch novels, but unlike Bosch March lives in the most dense city in the US, and can't help but interact with others.

I'm blown away.

(Slight spolier ahead...)

The fact that Spiegelman does not resort to that thing that makes me dock a star (when it would be so easy!) makes me love it even more.

Fantastic book, all three in the series are worth reading.

[Coki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listening to. Part of the Great Downloadable Audiobook Experiment. (so far so good)

--- Okay, Elliot Gould officially does THE WORST Puerto Rican accent I've ever heard. Seriously, the guy sounded like a drunk Vietnamese waiter. Other than that, a serviceable little noir mystery with interesting details about performance/video art but I did not feel drawn to the main character guy. And having the giant hour plus tracks made it extremely unwieldy to listen to. While the convenience of downloading is nice, if all the titles are organized that way then I cant' see myself using it very often.

[John Sheridan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third John March thriller penned by Peter Spiegelman and also the third one I've read in a short period of time having read good reviews for this particular novel but wanting to read the series in order. Some series novels you can dip in and out of as the characters don't really develop or relate back to previous incidents or settings but that isn't the case here where the strong element of family and the interactions they have with each other can be placed better in the context of the previous novels, each of which stands up well in its own right with the first having won a Shamus award. I continue to look forward to reading more of this author and series.

[Scilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective John March is asked to work for his estranged brother, David, who is being stalked by Wren, a woman he had an affair with, and David wants John to find her and find her and tell her to lay off. John finds her and finds that her name is Holly Cady, and that she is a very experienced videographer and has made videos of her lovers while they are with her. Shortly after John finds Holly, she is found dead, and the police soon figure David and his wife Stephanie are the prime suspects. John has to keep sleuthing to find some other suspects, and in the process learns more about Holly.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this in one day on vacation. Which tells you it moves quick. That said, it was not my favorite book by him and his writing seems to have fallen into a predictable rut. Racey plot line, semi-disinterested love interest, couple of fights, small time investigator vs. DA office, and then John March saves the day. In all fairness, this describes almost every gumshoe detective novel so that should be taken into consideration. So if you like this genre and this author I wouldn't discourage you from the book and it certainly moves quick, but there are other ones to pick up off the shelf first.

[Dan Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spiegelman delivers John March another case, this time bringing the detective's brothers and sister in for a closer look. And he gives us a heroine/villain who rates as highly memorable and totally wacko.

He features sexual fixation, way off the charts male dysfunction and another backward-looking story which highlights the damage twisted parents can do to their children even without physically abusing them.
The story has hooks, and joys and a mystery which can be solved but not by CSI tricks. A keen ear for dialogue and motivation is needed here. Well worth the trip.
Recommended.

[Fred Seibert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was short some plane reading when I saw one of the Red Cat cover in a suburban bookstore. Sixty seconds later these were on my Kindle (a post on the destruction of the bookstore business model is brewing in my noggin somewhere) and I dispatched all three of them almost as quickly. He's a good enough writer, and I liked all the characters enough while I was reading them (and I'll probably read any sequels, if there are any), but, I'm having a hard time remembering all that much about them.

[james · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent mystery by this author whom I recommend. It's one of a series featuring fictious detective John March. His brother, an extremely wealthy financial executive comes for help. It seems he's been a bad boy, arranging dates on the Internet. One is now blackmailing him with videos of their trysts. And he's not the only victim of "Wren." Then a body surfaces in a river. Need I add more? Read something by this author at once. He knows all the ins & outs of the Wall Street scene.

[Emjay · Rating 3 out of 5]

John March, ex (under a cloud) cop & present P. I. has a visit from his nasty, ungrateful, high rolling brother. David has gotten involved with a gorgeous, talented and highly disturbed woman named Wren. Now she’s blackmailing him & David wants her tracked down and turned off. I listened to this fascinating, nerve wracking and sometimes annoying, “nouveau noir” novel which was read by Eliott Gould.

[Bill Thibadeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book by an author unknown to me on a close out table. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I really enjoyed the mid-century Sam Spade noir style writing. It is reminiscent of the Dragnet kind of mystery. The story is concise and continues to evolve. In the end, I found to novel to have a bit of a let down for an ending. It did not resonate with the rest of the writing. However, I am going to read

[Laurie Tomchak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pluses--an interesting New York setting, an attractive detective and up-to-date computer sex plot (which will soon no doubt be out of date). Negative--non-linear narrative, which doesn't work in this kind of genre. The author provides his own mini-spoilers, then proceeds to back track to explain them. Lots of bloodshed and violence, but the sex is surprisingly vague. The main character besides the detective is always just out of reach, which is an interesting technique.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

John March is an interesting character, and I think Spiegelman does a great job of portraying March's interaction with family members. There are plenty of books about almost-outlaw private investigators who are perpetually on the verge of being expelled from their chosen societies, and This is a good example. Fun reading, if not particularly challenging.

[Jorn Barger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good writer, but sort of disappointing resolution. The premise of fine-art video revenge-porn was imaginative but not credible in the internet age (copies would leak so values would plummet). Annoyingly 1% socioeconomic setting, but well-done for all that. In retrospect, the characters are pretty generic-- the PI has no quirks to differentiate him.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Cat was a recommendation from the author Reed Farrel Coleman. Glad he did. It was a good read. I like the character, John March. I did think there was going to be a twist at the end, but I was fooled. All in all a good read.

[Tabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Your basic okay who-done-it with the normal good guy hero and obnoxious suspects that could have done it. At the end when we learn the rest of the story it took me by surprise which made the book a keeper. Pretty good read.